Zealot or Martyr?

September 20, 2012

CHARLES TOWN - On Oct. 16, 1859, abolitionist John Brown led his 18 raiders on an attack of the federal armory at Harpers Ferry. Their attack failed and on Oct. 24, 1859, John Brown was tried for murder, conspiracy and treason. He was found guilty of all charges and was sentenced to be hanged until dead.

Was John Brown a savior or a terrorist? That depends on your point of view. For some, he was an abolitionist fighting for the freedom of the black man; for others he was nothing more than a mentally ill zealot who declared war against the nation.

Most local residents know the story of John Brown and his raiders, but few know what actually was said during his three-day trial.

Article Photos

Journal photos by Ron AgnirJerry Bayer plays the role of Thomas Green, mayor of Charles Town and defense attorney for Brown.

Was John Brown a savior or a terrorist? That depends on your point of view. For some, he was an abolitionist fighting for the freedom of the black man; for others he was nothing more than a mentally ill zealot who declared war against the nation. This play shows what was actually said during Brown’s trial — leaving no room for personal interpretation.

This weekend, a group of actors are performing "The Anvil - The Trial of John Brown," as the trial actually occurred condensed into a two-hour play.

"The production follows the trial pretty closely," Director Joe Yates said. "The dialogue of the play comes from the actual transcripts of the trial. The playwright, Julia Davis, indicates that all of her research came from letters, documents and eyewitness testimony - so it's dead-on accurate, but some scenes have been added. There's one where (John Brown) meets a minister in his jail cell. There's one scene where the widow of a man John Brown killed in Kansas reads a letter she wrote to him aloud. And then there's one where his wife talks about their crusade together."

Starting with a very powerful summation of the raid on the armory, the trail begins with Brown's indictment being read aloud in court. The play will take place not only at the actual courthouse where the trial was held, but in the actual courtroom in which it occurred - the current upstairs courtroom of Circuit Judge David H. Sanders.

Jim Cummins, who portrays the role of Captain Sin, said, "It's our nation's history and an important moment in dialogue. For Lincoln, (the armory raid) was a terrorist act."

"There's a lot to this incident," said Jerry Bayer, who plays the role of Thomas Green, mayor of Charles Town and defense attorney for Brown. "You're going to get a more thoughtful story (with this play)."

"It's a very complex situation," added Emily Romine, who portrays Mahala Doyle, the widow of the man and her two sons killed by Brown and his sons in Kansas in 1856. "It's not as black and white as people think. It humanizes what happened. I think having a theatrical play helps people realize more than reading a book, and the chance to perform it in the courtroom where it actually happened can only happen to people here. People can come to this play without any background of what happened and find a certain amount of humanity. If you have a child of age to see this, bring them. I think you'll take something away."

While historical opinions and ideas of what happened may become distorted over time, actual court transcripts and notarized documents cannot. This play shows what was actually said during Brown's trial - leaving no room for personal interpretation.

And while anyone of any age is welcome to come see this production, Yates would like viewers to be aware that this is an emotionally charged play depicting an actual historical event and some scenes may be very intense for small children.